Death Pillar
by baby bleach
Summary: Set two years after the end of Chiyuki's life, the story records the details of the events that occur afterwards. From the eventual destruction of Decim's mind to the reincarnation of Chiyuki, this story is one for the ages. Warnings: Smut, Death, etc.
1. Mannequin

A lifeless doll that sits silently as guests pour in from each elevator door. Dust settles on the doll; on her hair, on her suit, and on her frame. Decim, the bartender often does his part to clean her up. After all, _she _is the only one he can remember. She is the one who started all this, the one who made him feel emotions. As an arbiter it is his duty to judge those who come in, and whether or not to send them to reincarnation or the void. This has been a task that has been going on for seven years now, and it has been two since Chiyuki arrived through those same doors many have arrived through. The difference between others and this particular woman was that she recalled her death upon arrival. That made the basis for a different situation to happen.

Today was just like any other, or so it seemed. Decim was supposed to receive a child and a rapist through those door, but at the last minute Nona had decided it to hand them to Ginti. It had been the longest since Decim had had a day off. Since the departure of Chiyuki, he had been working nonstop. Feeling complex emotions and judging the deceased through a series of games, he made sure to smile every step. It was the only thing that kept his memory of that woman alive.

When the news came that he had the day off, he decided to cook a meal for himself. He had made a grand meal; it was a brisk dipped in pomegranate sauce, and a side of mashed potatoes and vegetables. Decim served the meal in two plates, and sat behind his bar. Taking a biteful, he looked up at the plate across from his and smiled. "I hope you enjoy the meal. I made it just the way you like it, _Chiyuki-sama_." It was as if she had never left, and she didn't. He didn't accept it, although he acted as he did when the woman left.

After she had gone through the elevator towards reincarnation, he had gone behind his bar and had gathered up his supplies. Decim went behind the bar towards where he kept his mannequin supplies, and began his work. In the matter of minutes he was done rebuilding Chiyuki. She was alive again, in this form, and he had control over it. When he finished admiring the woman before him, he took her hands and held her close. "Shall we dance the waltz?", he asked. It seemed that with complex feelings, came high levels of entropy.

Stepping out of the mannequin room, he made his way onto the center of the bar, right in front of the piano. The mannequin sitting at the piano began to play _Gymnopedie no.1, _and soon Decim began to dance with the mannequin he had built. As they spun around elegantly in circles, he looked at her and found himself crying. How was he going to heal this wound? Before he had been but a vessel with only a selective consciousness. Now he was a being full of emotions, desires, and a need to live. In these moments, as he spun himself and Chiyuki about, he wondered if this was a blessing or a gateway to an eternal hell. He figured that the best person to ask was the woman in front of him.

"Is this…..really the way it was suppose to be?", he said, stopping soon after the question came. He looked at the mannequin's expressionless face and heard her answer. _'So'_, he thought, _'It was suppose to be this way after all.'_ As soon as his thought process ended, he dropped the doll and fell on his knees. He was crying once more. It had to be like this, but the emotions in him began to pour doubt. There must have been…..._no_. He stopped himself before he thought any further. To think that was is much too human, so he decided to pick up both himself and Chiyuki and go back to his bar. This was his duty after all.

Two years later and here he was, eating with Chiyuki a brisket coated in pomegranate. As Decim finished his food, he took the plates with him and placed them away. There was nothing else to do today, so he prepared himself to head on home. During the first year of his solitude, he had left the Chiyuki mannequin in the bar, and had gone directly home. Now he would take her home, and pretend to live a normal human life with her. That was what he did today as well; take her home in a suitcase, and take her out in his home. It had seemed he was playing matrimony, and it was something he was okay with.

At his home, he took off his clothing and took off the clothing of the mannequin. With a blush on his face, he took them both upstairs into the bathroom and placed a bath. When it was set and done, he got in with Chiyuki, and sat her on his lap. Moments like these where he was all alone and quiet, he would hug the mannequin and cry on her shoulder. Her sorrow and pain was one that was still with him, and despite the many sorrows and pains he had seen in the years, hers was one he would never let go.

As the bathroom steamed up with heat, he washed away his tears and the filth on both their bodies. "Chiyuki-sama, would you like me to wash your hair next?", he said, with his hands between her legs. He made sure to clean every inch of her, despite the fact that the mannequin only accumulated dust. To Decim, this mannequin was more alive than anything he had seen.

"So…..this is what you've become, _Decim-san_. I did not imagine you would have these sort of feelings. Even after all these years….I still cannot understand what would prompt this. I suppose that's normal for your types, hmm?", said Nona, sitting on a high chair. No matter how secretive Decim was, she could see her boy's every moments with ease. Behind her sat a shadow of a person with light crimson eyes. With a tenacious smile, Nona turned her eyes back to the screen, watching as a hopeless Decim played at husband to a lifeless doll.


	2. Moving

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. It took ten steps for Aiko to step out of the elevator she had found herself in. In the elevator next to hers, came forth Wakabe, a middle-aged man who had a dust of grey hair on his dark head. It took them both three seconds to notice each other, and when they did, they both nervously glanced about and walked forward in silence. When they both made it to the inside of the bar, they were greeted by a most humble bartender, Decim.

"Welcome to the Quindecim Bar. I am your bartender Decim, please have a seat.", motioning his hand towards the seats in front of him, he gave the occidental guests a light smile. They both sat down next to each other, and stared at the man before them in silence. Aiko, a woman with light brown hair and freckles across her pale face, rose her hands to the bar table in front of her. Her lips were dried and cracked, and there were heavy bags under her eyes. It had been weeks since she had a decent meal, that was something she could remember with ease. As for how she got here, that was a mystery.

The man across from her, Wakabe, had dark skin and steel eyes. He was on the heavy side, with his stomach bulging out and over his expensive belt. The suit he was was brand-name, suggesting he was of money. As for his posture, he sat back, taking up much space with ease. Decim was able to note he was a man with a rather cocky personality. As for Wakabe, all he could remember was the taste of hard liquor in his mouth.

"Where are we? Don't tell me someone drugged me and brought me here!", said Wakabe, placing his hands on the table and leaning forward. His voice was half-lighted and half-joking. He wasn't very nervous or anxious about being here. After all, he was a man who lived a carefree life for the most part. The woman next to him on the other hand was a ball of nerves. She had her right fingers in her mouth, teeth clamping down on nails. Beneath her loose sweater lay an array of bruises and burns. Decim gave her a slight glance before returning his view to Wakabe.

"I assure you no one has drugged you. If I may ask, what's the last thing you remember before coming here?", Decim asked, directing his question towards Wakabe. The man rubbed his chin a bit before sighing. "Ah….no not really…..hmmm….oh wait! I was drinking rum and vodka in my hotel room. That's about it.", he said, leaving out why he was in the hotel room. Decim then turned towards Aiko and repeated the question. The young woman looked up and shook her head. She did not respond.

Decim then went through the usual routine of telling his guests that they were the play a game, what the rules were, and then he showed them the 'consequence' of not playing. When all was set and done, he pulled out a red button and placed it before his guests. "So, will you play or not?", he asked. Aiko glanced up at Decim, before the hand that was in her mouth slammed down on the button. Her actions caused Decim to look surprised, and it made Wakabe stand up and slam his hands on the table.

"Hey! What the hell? You didn't even ask me? You fucking bitch-", he yelled, before raising his hand in attempts to slap the woman. He was stopped by thin spider strings stirred up by Decim. The board behind them had already stopped on the left title next to the middle one before anybody could do anything. It spun around and revealed the game. Aiko stood up and looked up at Wakabe before softly apologizing. The man stuck by the strings simply sighed and ripped his way out from the strings. He didn't really believe anything that had been said so he decided to cool off for a bit and reach for a bottle behind the bar. He popped the top off and drank from it before placing it down.

"Chess.", Aiko said loudly, pointing at the board before her. Their game was to play chess. When she said that, Decim nodded and turned towards the right where a large flat board rose from the ground. From the roof above it, multiple chess pieces fell down onto each side of the board. When everything was settled, Wakabe walked towards the grand chessboard. He first observed the white pieces and noticed an odd resemblance. They all seem to look just like the woman next to him, or so it seemed. He hadn't really paid much attention to her in the few moments they were together. He then walked towards the black pieces and saw that each chess piece was him, or at least a representation of how he looked like through each moment of his life. Sixteen pieces to represent sixteen important memories. At the sight of that a memory came to him.

_Wakabe, with a cup of vodka and rum in his hand, stirred the drink and placed it down. He was in a dark hotel room with only a glimmer of light pouring in through the window. On the bed next to him lay a thin woman with her breasts spread out against her chest. Her long hair was swirled all over the pillows under her. Silence filled the room, only broken by the sound of a phone ringing. Wakabe picked up the phone and smiled slightly at the sound of the voice on the other end. "Papa? Hi papa. When are you coming home?", the voice asked. Wakabe sighed a bit and then dug through his pocket for a cigarette. "I'll be home soon sweetie. Tell your mother I love her, okay?", he said, before hanging up. _

"Are you okay?", asked Aiko, approaching Wakabe. He had remained still and silent for a long time, and it was time to start the game. When he shrugged her off and moved behind his chess pieces, she took a glance at hers, her eyes becoming widened. Each chess pieces had her with wide eyes and a mouth twisted in agony. In some she was nude and in others she was chained up. In silence, she made her way behind her chess pieces and slammed her fist into her mouth.

"This is like your typical game of chess. Each player much reach try and reach the queen. The first person to do so will win the game. As you can see each chess piece represents a memory of yourself. Each piece that is knocked out counts against you. If all your pieces are knocked out even if no one has reached the queen, you will lose. Let the games begin.", said Decim, already standing near side of the board.

"Now just how are we suppose to get these to move? They're six times bigger than us!", Wakabe asked, sitting down in a chair behind him. When his rear touched the seat, the seat rose up, its legs becoming long and thin. He was now sitting up in the air, receiving a bird's eye view of the board. Aiko had also sat down, the same thing happening to her. Unlike Wakabe, she had screamed loudly. Decim simply looked up at them, the floor beneath him rising him and the Chiyuki mannequin he had brought with him. He turned towards Wakabe and spoke. "Voice your command and the chess piece will move accordingly." It was time for the games to begin.


	3. Deus Ex Machina (Last Game)

The two guests that had found themselves in Quindecim, Aiko and Wakabe, had begun the game. As they both voiced their commands to the chess pieces, Decim stood in silence holding the Chiyuki mannequin close. Just how when she was alive and they were together, he began to talk to her about the two guests in the room. Eventually he found himself sitting down, placing the mannequin on his lap.

"It seems the girl is in the lead now.", he said, looking down at the chessboard beneath them. Aiko was now close to winning, only three moves away from it. Her face which was once sullen and depressed looking was beginning to look a tad bit more excited. Wakabe on the other hand was red-faced; his eyes were wide, pupils dilated, and his forehead was beginning to cover in sweat. With each move, each person gained a memory from their time alive. They were still unaware of the fact that they had died, but they were only three moves from it.

The turn belonged to Aiko. Moving her knight towards the left, she managed to knock out another one of Wakabe's pieces. With that she found herself screaming out loud in joy and thrusting her bitten fists inwards. She was going to win and make it out of this if it was the last thing she did. "I'm not going to lose just yet. I need to…...win this.", she said, before lowering her arms and gazing at the queen piece. It was the only piece that had her in a normal complexion. It seemed as if her face was calm and tranquil, and her skin was clear and smooth; free of bruises and burn marks. Her hair was curled inwards, and a flower crown adorned her head. The sight of it brought back the moments before her death.

_In a cell room, Aiko closed her eyes tightly and heard the screaming shrieks of her younger brother as he was being whipped. His screams and shrieks of agony made her scrunch up her petite legs together, and her hands quickly covered her ears. When the display of brutality ended, her brother wobbled over towards her and fell down on her. Aiko opened her eyes and reached out to grab him. He was in the nude, and his back was covered in red marks. Her hands gently touched his shoulders, and she looked up, watching as their father walked out the room they were trapped in. When the door slammed shut, she turned towards him and smiled. "It's going to be okay Akio-kun. I'm here. Do you want me to give you one of big sis's special treats?", she said, pushing back his blonde hair. The boy looked up at her, with red and swollen eyes. He was at least six years older than her if not more. He nodded softly, stifling a few cries. When Aiko saw his permission, she lifted his chin up and kissed his lips. Soon her hands reached down his chest, sliding down his pelvis bone. _

Back at the game, Wakabe glanced at the chessboard before him, wondering just how he was going to win this. He had a wife, a daughter, and a lover back home, he couldn't just die could he? Though he wasn't sure if he was actually going to die or not. It had only been implied. Still he had to win. So he called forth a command that brought him ahead. Now it seemed he was winning, and he was more than glad about that. "I get that you don't want to lose, but doll, I'm gonna fucking win this!", he said, before kicking his legs up. If he had been standing he probably would have slammed his feet down. Instead he simply laughed out loud.

Aiko stared him down before nervously biting on her fingers. The excitement she once had was now gone and filled with fear. She had to go back and save her brother if it was the last thing she did. So she called out another move, a careless move, and found herself losing. With a wide expression, she got up on her chair and dug her nails into her shoulders. Before she could scream, she finally remembered her death. She had been strangled to death by her father. How could she forget something so important?

Wakabe on the other hand simply clapped and laughed at his victory. His bold ego and attitude kept him from realizing that he too had already been dead. With the game at an end, the chairs came flying down, bringing a wide breeze of air through each of the guest's hair. Aiko who had been standing soon found herself fallen on her chair, and out of breath. When they got down, Wakabe ran towards Decim and placed his hands on his hips.

"Now then, let us the fuck out of here huh boy?", he said, glancing idly at the mannequin in the man's lap. Decim stood up, holding Chiyuki close and then turned towards Aiko. She was at their side, holding her neck. "We're already dead aren't we?", she asked, biting down on her lower lip after. Her question caused Decim to answer, and Wakabe to grunt in surprise. "What do you mean-"

"Yes. You are correct.", Decim answered, cutting off the other man. Wakabe soon recalled that hiding in the closet of the hotel room was his wife, who emerged with a knife and had stabbed him to death. So that was his demise was it? It made sense, his wife had been asking for weeks where he had gone off to at night, and if he loved her or not. As for Aiko, her father had walked in on her and her brother having sex. When they both came to their conclusion, Decim simply thanked them for playing and showed each player to their respected elevator door.

When the two guests were gone, he made his way back to the bar and placed Chiyuki in a chair. He went behind the bar and poured two drinks. He placed one in front of Chiyuki and one for himself. Taking a light sip, he began to speak to his '_wife_'.

"Today's memories were rather interesting weren't they?", sip, "I did not expect the woman to lose. It seemed she had more intelligence than she let on. I wonder how her brother is doing now." It wasn't really that interesting to talk about the guests he just had, especially when he hadn't put much effort in to connect with them like he had with others. Still it was better than not saying anything. He knew how hard it had been two years ago when Chiyuki had tried to speak with him.

When they finished their drinks, he packed up his things and headed home with Chiyuki. Once at his house, he placed her in their bed and began to undress her. Today they had showered in the morning so there was no need to take another. Once she was dressed in her nightwear, he undressed himself and got in bed with the mannequin. Soon he was fast asleep, into dreamland.

"Decim-sama…...Decim-Sama…..Decim!", a voice screamed. Decim had been sitting on the floor, right underneath a cherry blossom tree. Next to him Chiyuki suddenly appeared. He leaned his back against hers before her hands motioned him to lay his head on her lap. Her fingers twirled in his hair and she gently began to place flowers behind his ear. "It's okay….Decim. Just give in…..allow it to happen. Lean into it….your emotions. I'm alive.", she said, bending down to his ear. His eyes widened and he looked up at her, before sitting up and reaching out to hug her. When his arms touched her, she broke up into a million pieces and dissolved before him. All he could hear now was '_I'm Alive…...I'm Alive….._'.

"Decim-san seems to be really interested in bringing her back. Perhaps the hand of God will reach in and bring her to him. I wonder what kind of fun that will bring.", Nona said, staring at the screen before her. Behind her sat a crimsoned-eyed person, not seeming to be alive.


	4. The Game of Life

"Chiyuki…", Nona's voice whispered, her hand grabbing a lock of dark hair. "Humans are so weak and fragile. I wonder though, are we the same? Decim seems to be. Let's see how that goes." The white-haired woman dropped the strand of hair and walked away from the room the soulless body was in. The time was coming close, sooner than anyone could imagine.

Down at the Quindecim, Decim poured a bottle of vodka into two glasses, placing them before the two guests. This time the game would be against a boy of about eighteen, with jet-dark hair, and freckles, and a woman of about thirty-three with equally short black hair, and a beauty mark right under her right eye. The woman was seemingly calm; she had a pen with her and she had been drawing a tiny sketch of both Decim and the boy next to her on a sheet of paper. The boy on the other hand was fidgety, and he was glancing around everywhere, looking for a place to escape. Once the beverages were served and drank, Decim turned towards the guests and began to explain the rules of the game, the consequences, and so forth.

"I'm game.", said Nanjou, the dark haired woman, pressing the infamous red button. She pulled forth from her pocket a pair of glasses, and placed them on her delicate face. Her lips were a perfect size, her nose was thin and erect, and her eyes were wide and beautiful. She was truly an attractive woman, however her brash personality often caused others to only see her for her personality. At her declaration, the boy next to her stood up and spoke.

"H-Hey! You can't just decide you want to do without asking me first!", he said, his chubby face jiggling very lightly. His lips were too plump, his nose was too round, and his eyes were small. He was obviously someone who wasn't very clean, viewable by the grease on his forehead. As he spoke, Nanjou simply glanced at him with indifference and then she smiled softly before speaking. "That's true, but would you rather waste your time trying to go out and escape or would you rather have a bit of fun?", she said, before she pushed a strand of hair behind her right ear. The boy was still stressed and nervous, so he sat down and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.

Before them, Decim stood in front of the game board, and pointed towards the game they would play next; _The Game of Life_. It was a simple game really, the two players who were to play would receive a character based on their gender and then they would go through the typical trials of life; going to school, getting sick, going to college or working, getting married, having kids, etc. The spin on this game was that the two, Nanjou and the Boy, would have to be the characters themselves, and they would have to go through the board game until one of them either landed in jail, got incurably sick, or hit the end first. This was what Decim explained before he handed them both pink and blue bodysuits.

When the two guests changed into their clothing, they stood next to each other and watched as a large flat platform arose from the ground. On it, two cars rose up, each car on a different path. With excitement, Nanjou ran towards the pink car and got inside it. She was a curious creature, so she looked around and found that the glove compartment had a large card in it. She picked it up, and read what was on it. "Nanjou Sakamiya, born on December 20, 1982, in Tokyo Japan. Weight 1.5 kilos." This was turning out to be a bit surprising, at least to the dark-haired woman. The boy on the other hand simply watched her before he was prompted to go to his own car by Decim.

"I don't really know how to drive.", he said, nervously fumbling with the door handle. Once it was open, Decim appeared on the other side and offered him a light smile. "Don't worry", he said, closing the door for the other. "It will drive on its own either way. All you have to do is to turn on the GPS and touch random. It will spin a wheel for you, and the cards inside the glove compartment will say what will happen to you next." With that, the boy was able to calm down a bit and turn on his GPS. On it, was a pixelated version of himself, surrounded by anime girls. At the sight of this, the boy blushed and then turned towards Decim who was already off the platform. What he caught a sight of was Nanjou already putting random on her GPS.

When Nanjou placed random on her GPS, a pixelated version of herself spun the wheel with ease, and it hit the education slice. Inside the glove compartment, a card popped out. Nanjou picked it up and read it aloud once more. "Attend Sakura Elementary School, Attend Dolphinson Middle School, Drop out of…..", she stopped, her voice falling silent. Wasn't this game suppose to be random? Then how did it know so much about her? Before she could even place a finger on the situation, the pink car began to move forward eighteen paces at a rather fast pace. Once it stopped, she placed the card down and moved towards the passenger seat. She took a good look at the boy and then waved her arm at him shouting, "Good-luck kid!", before she sat down once more.

The boy saw how fast the car went and found himself feeling rather queezy at the thought of the car he was in going that fast as well. With fear, he pushed the randomize button and saw the wheel of his life spin incredibly quickly. Before long, it stopped at the education wedge and the glove compartment popped open, revealing a card. The boy picked it up and saw what it said. "Attend Sakura Elementary School, Attend Kyoto Region Middle School, Attend Tondelo Highschool, Attend Japan University." Once he finished reading, the car began to move. Unlike Nanjou's car, his car only moved nine paces, and at a rather slow rate. It seemed that the woman was winning so far, and the boy wasn't really sure on how to feel about this.

Next up was Nanjou's turn. She pressed the randomize button again, and another card came forth. She picked it up, but unlike last time, she did not read it aloud. "Meet Touka Hanson, Become Pregnant, Give up the child for adoption." The moment she finished reading that, she dropped the card and then she stood up in the car. She stuck her head out the car and began to yell towards Decim as the car moved forward two paces at a quick speed. "What the hell is this? How do you know so much about me?! Boy! Does yours tell you things other people shouldn't know?"

The boy heard her shouts, and he heard as Decim told her that it was only telling her what the game knew would fit them. The boy took a big gulp of air before he began to raise his finger to press the randomize button. It was then he had a flashback about high school.

'_You dirty fat fucking pig! All you want is to fuck, well no one will ever fuck you, being such a pervert and being so ugly!', a female voice shouted, before the lash of feet came tumbling down onto the boy's stomach. He was on the ground, his nose broken, and he was breathing roughly for air. He was anything but a pervert, but as luck would have it, the day he fell down the stairs for the first time, he caused the most popular girl to fall down as well, dragging down her skirt down in the process and landing on top of her. He knew the girls probably wouldn't have been this violent if they knew it was on accident, but the boy preferred their insults and hits rather than their boyfriend's. _

When the flashback ended, the boy found himself sweating all over again as if that were happening to him once more. He had been a freshman when this had happened, so that was over five years ago. Once he calmed down, he pressed the randomize button and heard the glove compartment open up once the spinner landed. He picked up the card and saw what it said, "Land a job working at McFries, Rent an Apartment, Have an affair with the owner of the apartment." When he finished reading that, the car moved up, landing in the same amount of tiles Nanjou was on. He looked towards her and then spoke up.

"You're right, this thing is telling me things that...that I've never even told anyone! I don't think we should continue to play at all-", his hands went for the door handle, and as he tried to escape, the door gave him a shock. He quickly released it and screamed at Decim loudly. "What the hell man- Let me out! I want to go home!" Decim appeared before him with ease, holding a mannequin at his side and spoke. "In life if you want to leave it, you have to go through some amount of pain. The shock voltage will be based on how many times you have tried to leave _your_ life outside this game." The white haired man's answer caused both players to stare at him with wide shock and despair. They both had secrets they didn't want to see, or perhaps choose not to remember until now.

Next up was Nanjou, and while she was nervous about what memory would come up next (since she didn't really remember much), she wanted this game to end soon. So with her upper teeth down on her lower lip, she pressed the button and closed her eyes. When the glove compartment opened up again, she picked up the card and gasped for air when she saw what was written on it. "Work at Gladwells, Work at Tokyo Number One Market, Work at Goodliving, Work at Computer Repair, Attempt Suicide, Land in Hospital." Before she could even shout, her throat began to feel on fire, and she found herself slamming her head down onto the dashboard in agony and pain as the car moved forward only one space. When it stopped, the pain just seemingly disappeared. This was too much for her, so she grabbed the door handle, and screamed in pain loudly before she removed her hand. Unlike the boy, the shock had left a burning bright red mark on her hand. The wound was so fresh and thin, that little bubbles of blood began to form on her hand. With this she knew she was trapped here until the end of the game.


End file.
